Just My Luck
by AmbientTime
Summary: At long, long last I was on my way to fulfilling my dream! I was finally on my way to Japan! But then the plane crashed, along with my dreams, and I quite literally fell into a new world. Will I be able to find new friends? Family? A new dream? Well, if I can join the Strawhats, yes! . . . Trying my hand at an SI/Self Insert.
1. Prologue

**Just My Luck: Prolouge**

The first time I laid eyes on my new life, it was from a birds-eye view. After ten years of planning and studying, I had finally boarded the plane that would take me to Japan. However, that new life I was seeing? I wasn't sure what it was at that point, but I knew three things. One: this was _not_ Japan, two: I really hate airplanes, and three: I was about to die.

I suppose I should properly explain. See, when I left my parent's house that morning, I thought that Customs and the TSA would be my biggest challenges. I mean, I love traveling! But then something malfunctioned a couple hours into our flight, and the plane was going down. And of course, with my luck – or lack thereof – I was in the washroom when it happened. I thank every deity I know of that I was washing my hands at the time and not caught, quite literally, with my pants down. However, this still meant that I was far away from a seatbelt when the plane ripped itself apart. Next thing I knew, I was freefalling towards the ocean. Now mind you, I've always wanted to try skydiving. I'm an adrenaline junky. But an unexpected fall from an airplane without a parachute? That tore quite a few expletives from my mouth. Especially since I had been passively waiting (hoping) for something to kill me since elementary school, and now that I was so close to reaching my dream I was about to die. Just my luck. So, like the mature adult I am, I folded my arms, scrunched up my face, and pouted as I waited for my end to come.

 **A.N. This is my first time typing up and publishing any of my fics. If you'd like to read more, please let me know. If you think it sucks, please lmk. If there's anything I messed up and need to fix, please review or PM me to lmk. I have the major outlines for the next four chapters written up, and most of chapter one typed, so I should update within a week.**

Shoutout to my inspirations, "This Bites!" by the Cross Brain, "Twelve Red Lines" by Vikingr, "Ripples in the Pond" by TheRealEvanSG, and "To Look at the Sea Without Wishing" by Lady Ayuka. I can only dream to be at your levels.

 **And if you, dear reader, are still here and into SIs, CHECK OUT THE ABOVE FICS. THEY'RE ALL FANTASTIC.**


	2. Enter, Strawhat Pirates!

**Just My Luck**

 **Chapter One**

 **A.N. Short chapters for now. They'll get longer the further in we get. For now: our first look at the Strawhats!**

 _Strawhats' point of view_

The small band of pirates had left Syrup Island no more than forty minutes ago. After getting all of Usopp's things settled in place – and by that I mean his gigantic knapsack shoved into the men's room to be dealt with later – the troop of vagabonds had settled into their usual routine. Zoro was training, Nami was drawing her maps while occasionally making sure the ship was on course, Usopp was tinkering with something near the mast, and Luffy had decided on the figure head of the ship as his new favorite spot. Suddenly, Luffy cocked his head. He heard something. Some sort of screaming. Ooh! Maybe it was a bird! Meat!

"Usopp!" Luffy yelled out suddenly. "I think there's a bird! Let's catch it for breakfast!"

Usopp sighed. "We just ate breakfast, Luffy," he stated, resigned. He already had an idea of the kind of appetite his new follower hid under that scrawny exterior. He even caught a snort from Zoro. Though maybe that was just a grunt of exertion. Those weights were _huge_! Never the less, he set down the prop hammer he had been working on and maneuvered over to where Luffy sat, scanning the skies. He didn't think there would be anything flying this far out to sea, but hey, what did he know. He'd never been out of sight of his home island before today. As he half-heartedly swept his gaze across the sea of clouds, Usopp noticed a dark spot high in the sky slightly to Luffy's right. "I see it!" Usopp exclaimed, pointing. "But it looks like it's diving into the sea."

Luffy, having found the falling figure, pouted. "But I can't get it in the water! Zoro!" Luffy shouted towards his first mate, "Fetch!" Zoro glanced over, irritated. Usopp gulped.

"I'm not a damn dog, Luffy," He grunted. "Get it yourself. Or make long-nose do it."

Luffy pouted more. "But Zoro~…" Then Luffy frowned. "Wait… That doesn't sound like a bird. That's sounds like Dadaan when she stubbed her toe. What's Dadaan doing in the sky? And what'd she hit her toe on way up there?"

Once Luffy had stopped spouting nonsense, the three teens listened closer. Usopp whistled lowly. "Whoever that is, they sure know some inventive curses." Apparently, the creative curses got the swordsman's attention, because he lowered his weights one last time and crossed the deck to join the other two boys in staring at the swiftly descending potty-mouth. "How do you think they got up there?"

Luffy shrugged. "The last time I fell from the sky it was cause I fell off a cliff. The time before that a giant bird carried me away. Jerk. I just wanted to eat it. Do you think she fell off a cliff?"

"Yes, Luffy," Zoro deadpanned as he rolled his eyes, "They fell off a cliff in the middle of the ocean."

"Oh! Shishishi," Luffy chuckled, "You're so smart, Zoro!" The mentioned first mate shot a look at Usopp that clearly conveyed 'You see what I have to deal with?' Then, he huffed and started to remove his shoes and shirt, swords already safely stored by the wall near where he'd been exercising.

At Usopp's questioning gaze, Zoro explained. "Guess if it's a person we should probably try to save them." The figure was nearing the water, and at this distance was distinctly human.

Luffy cheered. Then frowned. "Aw! This means no meat!"


	3. Home at Last

Just My Luck Chapter Two

 **First POV**

I'd like to say that I accepted my fate with poise and grace. The truth is, however, that my begrudging calm lasted only a few seconds before I was done. Done with the plane, done with God, done with life. If this was how death was gonna try to take me, I'd give it all the fight I had left. So the next few moments consisted of me exercising every curse word in my extensive vocabulary, and every combination thereof. I cursed out everyone and everything from the plane to my choices to God himself. It felt like I was falling for hours, when honestly it was probably only a few minutes. Soon I had fallen through the layer of clouds – which were very cold and very wet, resulting in even more vehement curses – and saw the ocean glittering beneath me. If I hadn't had my dreams ripped away when they were finally within my grasp, I might have marveled at the beauty. As it was, I just got even angrier. Because of course when I finally got to go skydiving it would be to my death. Just my luck.

 **Strawhat's POV**

By the time that the mystery person hit the water, Usopp had run to get Nami to pull around the ship, and Zoro was already on his way to where the person was going to land. Luffy was halfway between pouting and trembling in anticipation on Merry's figurehead.

"Saaaa~" Luffy sighed. "I hate having to sit here waiting." He soon had a steaming welt on his head, complements of his irritated navigator.

"Then stop sitting there and come help us stop the ship so we don't leave Zoro behind!" She screeched. Then she walked off muttering something about "Stupid boys pulling stupid stunts and making me save their stupid butts". Whatever that was about.

Strawhat shenanigans aside, the Going Merry soon coasted up to where Zoro tread water, holding a soggy mess under his arm. Usopp dropped a line over the side, and the superhuman swordsman heaved himself and his cargo up the side of the ship with one arm. As soon as he was back on deck, Zoro dumped the body on the deck and pounded twice on the newcomer's chest. Pounding, which while gentle by Zoro standards, was still more than enough to forcefully expel the water that had entered the lungs of his rescuee.

 **First POV**

My first thought as I regained consciousness was a creative string of curses. ' _Dammit. If I survived that fall only to drown I'm gonna fricking kill whoever's in charge when I finally do kick the bucket.'_ Maybe it was my threat, maybe the man upstairs just wanted to torture me more, but whatever reason there was, I soon finished coughing up the fluid from my lungs. "Gah! I hate saltwater!" I spit out as I wiped the water from my face. As much as I love playing on the beach, salt water has always had a way of getting on my nerves.

It was at this point that I realized I was on a hard surface. Scrubbing at my eyes a couple more times – because no way was I getting more saltwater in them if I could avoid it – I squinted up at my surroundings. Well, not so much up as over. Thankfully I was on my side, or I might have drowned again. On the same water. Heh. That'd be something to put on my resume. Or maybe not. Aaaaaand now I'm rambling. There wasn't much to see anyway. Bright sky, wooden deck, wooden railing. So I was on a ship. Flipping onto my back, I glanced at the people surrounding me. One tall dude with green hair, one girl with ginger hair like my sister's, one scrawny kid with dark curls and something stuck to his nose, and one boy grinning like a kid at Disney wearing a straw hat.

Wait. I blinked. And blinked twice. And kept blinking. Nope, they were still there. I'm pretty sure I stopped breathing. Nope. No way. It's not happening. I mean, I've read these fics. Be it via ROB or death, a kid from my world gets to go on the journey of a lifetime into the world of One Piece. Heck, I've read most of the popular SIs more than once. Cross, Jones, Riskua, Lily, Evan, they were all cool! They knew useful things, could do amazing feats! But not me. Nothing interesting happens to me. I mean, I'm a _teacher._ Why am I here?

Then Luffy poked me and I remembered to breathe. Deep breath. In. Out. Despite my feelings of inadequacy, I felt one of the biggest, most genuine smiles I've ever experienced split my face. Tears joined the seawater on my face as I let out a quiet sob. Like walking into Diagon Ally in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I felt like I was finally where I was meant to be. I was _home_.

 **A.N. So… Heh. Sorry? I started two jobs, an unpaid internship (fml, it's required to graduate), and school kicked my butt. Not to mention I had a competition last weekend that I was practicing for in all my free time, but it was worth it 'cause I got first place! Plus my sense of time sucks, so I thought I'd only missed a week or two, rather than a whole month. My bad. Either way, I hope you're enjoying life and my fic and thanks for reading!**


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